Cooking with Tammy: All things lemon

With Spring in the air and Easter just around the corner, it’s time to turn heavy Holiday deserts and goodies towards a lighter taste palette.  Makes me think of all things lemony!!  Here are a few super citrusy recipes to make you think Spring!   

Lemon Blossoms

18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix

3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix

4 large eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil 

Glaze:

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel 

To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth. 

With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids. 

Lemon Tarts

Crust

1 1/4 cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons melted butter 

Filling

4 egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 lemon juice (I squeezed fresh lemons)

Zest of one lemon (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  The mixture will be crumbly. Place liners in a cupcake pan and fill each one with a heaping large spoon of crumb mixture.  Press mixture flat on the bottom of the liner.  A wooden spoon works nicely.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes and remove to cool before adding filling.

In a bowl combine lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and zest (if desired).  Whisk ingredients together for about 1 minute or so.  Mixture will be quite liquidy and only thicken slightly.  Pour on top of prepared graham crust.

Place cupcake pan back into oven and bake on 350 for 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let cool completely.  Remove each tart from cupcake liners.  Garnish with lemon peel. 

Lemonade Cake

(this is a very moist lemony cake!  A friend favorite!)

Yellow Cake Mix

4 eggs

¾ cup oil

Small lemon pudding

1 Small can frozen lemonade

¾ cup sugar 

Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and pudding.  Pour into greased tube pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Dissolve lemonade with sugar.  Remove cake from oven & pour lemonade mixture over top of hot cake.  Cool completely before removing.

Ginger Tea Cakes with Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

3 tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. Using a standing mixer, beat the granulated sugar and butter at medium speed for 1 minute. Beat in the whole eggs and egg yolk at medium speed. Stir in the dry ingredients on low speed. 

Add 1 tablespoon batter to each muffin-pan cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes; remove from the pan, then let cool completely. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water. Dip the tops of the cakes in the glaze. Top with the candied ginger. 

Lemon Chess Pie

1 ½ cups Sugar

3 Eggs

½ cup margarine

1 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. vinegar

1 tbsp. Lemon Flavoring

2 Pie Crusts (uncooked) 

Combine ingredients and bake at 357 degrees for 40 minutes.  Allow to cool 

Cream Cheese Lemon Bars

1 box lemon cake mix

1/3 cup butter or margarine - softened

1 egg

8 ounces cream cheese - softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 lemon - grated

2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

In a mixing bowl, blend dry cake mix, butter, and 1 egg.   Press into a 9 x 13 pan, ungreased.  Beat the cream cheese until smooth.   Gradually blend in the powdered sugar.   Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth.   Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and refrigerate it for later use.

 Beat the remaining 2 eggs, add the vanilla, and then beat this mixture into the remaining cream cheese mixture until well blended.  Spread over the cake mixture.  

Bake at 350° until set, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.   Cool completely.

Spread the reserved cream cheese mixture onto the bars.

Refrigerate until firm; then cut into squares and serve.

Golden Lemon Orange Bars

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon baking powder  

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter, 2 cups flour and the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is the consistency of coarse sand. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel and the orange peel. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.  

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, combine the granulated sugar, eggs, lemon juice, orange juice, remaining 1 teaspoon lemon peel, remaining 2 tablespoons flour and the baking powder and mix for 1-1/2 minutes. Pour the filling into the crust and bake until the top is golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut into bars and dust with confectioners' sugar.